***Official Big 12 Expansion Thread '16***

[CYCLNST8]

Big 14?

12 is about the max supported by the cut list

I said earlier that IF we expand to 14, Colorado State could be the last one in. I don't think adding four schools is that far-fetched, however. If there's an argument about who to add between BYU, Houston, & Cincinnati, adding a fourth school would be an easy solution.

In the interest of preserving some semblance of geographic cultural identity, I hope we stick to the heartland as much as possible and avoid coastal schools such as UConn, UCF, & USF. I understand their potential, but they just don't seem like they'd fit. I don't want to see the Longhorns playing football in ****ing Storrs, CT. That'd be embarrassing.

 

[Buster28]

CSU had 26,000 in the stands for their only home game against a ranked opponent last year, Boise State. Capacity is 32,500.

They have one year left in that stadium. The capacity in the new stadium will be 41,000. If Big 12 teams were coming to town, there would be a lot more tickets sold to Rams games. CSU is positioning themselves to make the jump to the next level by investing in their facilities, just as TCU did before they joined the league. It will take some time for CSU programs to be at P5 strength, but they will get there, especially when the money starts to flow. They are still one of the best options of all the candidates.

 

[KnappShack]

I said earlier that IF we expand to 14, Colorado State could be the last one in. I don't think adding four schools is that far-fetched, however. If there's an argument about who to add between BYU, Houston, & Cincinnati, adding a fourth school would be an easy solution.

In the interest of preserving some semblance of geographic cultural identity, I hope we stick to the heartland as much as possible and avoid coastal schools such as UConn, UCF, & USF. I understand their potential, but they just don't seem like they'd fit. I don't want to see the Longhorns playing football in ****ing Storrs, CT. That'd be embarrassing.

14 and we are obviously firing off on a wing and a prayer. Let's go all city names. Memphis, Houston, Cincinnati, and SUNY -Buffalo

 

[scyclonekid]

I would really like CSU to make it in.

 

[isucy86]

I struggle with why we are interviewing 12/13 schools if we are only going to take two. Maybe adding 4 schools is more likely than media reports have indicated.

If we add 2, then we could have two schools isolated(WVU & BYU) if we add BYU and Houston. If we add four team, then we could add BYU and CSU to the west and then add Cincy and another "eastern" school.

Whether the Big12 goes two or four, I'd prefer we pick a direction and take both teams from that area. There is some gray area, but I would take 2 or 4 from the following groups:

West: BYU, CSU, SDSU, Air Force, Houston, Tulane
East: UConn, Temple, UCF, USF, Cincy, Houston, Tulan, Memphis

Schools within the existing Big12 footprint like Hou

 

[everyyard]

My preference:
1) ASU, Zona
2) mizzou, ark
3) none, none
4) CSU, Tulane

 

[cyclones500]

My preference:
1) ASU, Zona
2) mizzou, ark
3) none, none
4) CSU, Tulane

If Big 12 actually could land Arizona/ASU and Arkansas for 2-team expansion, I could conveniently forget about BYU and Cincy/Houston/UConn until there's a push to move to 14 schools. (Even though it'd leave WVU on an island).

If Mizzurah came begging at the door, I'd consider letting them back in, but I would have no motivation to pursue it actively — I blame them for starting the domino-effect in the first place.

 

[cyclones500]

Bingo

This might be the first thread I've started that reach 1,000.

 

[mdk2isu]

I don't want to see the anyone playing football in ****ing Storrs, CT. That'd be embarrassing.

Fixed for accuracy.

 

[KnappShack]

Don't have the numbers in front of me, but UConn and UC fans didn't seem to bother showing up last night.

Sure the Bengals were playing, but from what I saw it was a very poor effort out of both fan bases.

Pound sand UC and UCONN

 

[isucy86]

Don't have the numbers in front of me, but UConn and UC fans didn't seem to bother showing up last night.

Sure the Bengals were playing, but from what I saw it was a very poor effort out of both fan bases.

Pound sand UC and UCONN

I checked and Cincy drew 28.5k vs. TN Martin and UConn drew 29.4k against Maine.

That is part of the problem with all the expansion candidates other than BYU. All of the programs being mentioned (UConn, Cincy, Houston, Memphis, CSU, UCF, etc.) have averaged between 25-30k fans over the past five years. They might get a little bump when they have a great season, but then it falls back.

There is the hope that attendance could pick up playing in a major conference. Part of the reason I would prefer we focus on East, West or South with expansion. That way rivalries build and fans can travel to away games.

 

[3GenClone]

Don't have the numbers in front of me, but UConn and UC fans didn't seem to bother showing up last night.

Sure the Bengals were playing, but from what I saw it was a very poor effort out of both fan bases.

Pound sand UC and UCONN

Attendance Last Night:

@ Cincinnati - 28,520
@ UCONN - 29,377

 

[everyyard]

Attendance Last Night:

@ Cincinnati - 28,520
@ UCONN - 29,377

Trice tomorrow 61,500...

 

[Boxerdaddy]

I struggle with why we are interviewing 12/13 schools if we are only going to take two. Maybe adding 4 schools is more likely than media reports have indicated.

If we add 2, then we could have two schools isolated(WVU & BYU) if we add BYU and Houston. If we add four team, then we could add BYU and CSU to the west and then add Cincy and another "eastern" school.

Whether the Big12 goes two or four, I'd prefer we pick a direction and take both teams from that area. There is some gray area, but I would take 2 or 4 from the following groups:

West: BYU, CSU, SDSU, Air Force, Houston, Tulane
East: UConn, Temple, UCF, USF, Cincy, Houston, Tulan, Memphis

Schools within the existing Big12 footprint like Hou

My thoughts on the "interviewing" was a sort of response to the networks saying this was all just a money grab. Big12 was saying if this is a moneygrab then we're inviting EVERYONE. It's all negotiation tactics IMO. How it ends up, your guess is as good as mine.

 

[KnappShack]

Trice tomorrow 61,500...

Predicting ISU will out draw UCONN and Cincinnati combined!

 

[isu81]

Part of the reason I would prefer we focus on East, West or South with expansion.

I had never heard of any candidates to the North. Mankato State? Montana?

 

[doolittledog]

Trice tomorrow 61,500...

We should remember that fan bases can change when complaining about attendance at Cincy and UCONN last night.
A - They were Thursday games
B - I was in Trice in the mid 80's with crowds that might not have hit 20k
C - Even in the late 90's Jack Trice was averaging 35k-39k
D - A jump to the Big 12 could be what it takes to motivate those fan bases
E - That said, I prefer a conference without directional schools, or named after a city. Give me New Mexico, Colorado St, BYU, ...and UCONN to give a travel partner to WVU

 

[cyIclSoneU]

ESPN reporting that there are 11 candidates still under consideration. Memphis is not one of them.

So these schools will be making the last pitch:

Air Force
BYU
Cincinnati
Colorado State
UConn
Houston
Rice
SMU
Tulane
UCF
USF

There are a number of different directions the conference could go. At this stage, after having discussed this over and over by this point, I think I would be in favor of adding BYU and Cincinnati. BYU's already a Power Five quality school in terms of fan support, etc. If Cincinnati gets Big 12 money and support, maybe they add on to Nippert Stadium to increase capacity there and in the meantime play big games here and there at Paul Brown Stadium.

 

[hurdleisu24]

We should remember that fan bases can change when complaining about attendance at Cincy and UCONN last night.
A - They were Thursday games
B - I was in Trice in the mid 80's with crowds that might not have hit 20k
C - Even in the late 90's Jack Trice was averaging 35k-39k
D - A jump to the Big 12 could be what it takes to motivate those fan bases
E - That said, I prefer a conference without directional schools, or named after a city. Give me New Mexico, Colorado St, BYU, ...and UCONN to give a travel partner to WVU

Saying uconn is a travel partner to wvu is like saying Iowa state and Oklahoma state would be travel partner school. Approx the same distance ~525miles

 

[isucy86]

My thoughts on the "interviewing" was a sort of response to the networks saying this was all just a money grab. Big12 was saying if this is a moneygrab then we're inviting EVERYONE. It's all negotiation tactics IMO. How it ends up, your guess is as good as mine.

I think you are right in naming 11 teams, the Big12 is establishing a negotiation baseline with ESPN and FOX. IMO if Big12 Presidents and ADs had a preference they would like to add 4 to get to a 14 team conference- the same size as the SEC, ACC and Big10.

The problem is ESPN/FOX do not want to increase their rights payout to the Big12 by at least $80M annually and would probably litigate to prevent. However, ESPN/FOX may be willing to pay $40M more annually and the Big12 can decide on adding whatever number of schools and school payouts would be part of the upcoming discussions.

For example the Big12 could add 2 schools and split the new $40M of TV money:
- $15M existing schools
- $15M to BYU
- $10M to Cincy

or the Big12 could choose to add 4 teams and split the $40M
- $10M existing schools
- $15M to BYU
- $5M each to Houston, Cincy and CSU

As much as media experts ridicule the inclusion of Tulane, Rice, SMU or CSU among the 11, are their revenue athletic teams/fan support any worse than Boston College, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Rutgers or even Northwestern (historically).